WHAT an escape! TOM CRUISE reveals he nearly died when he was a youngster after trying to jump out of a window. The actor, 49, above, says: “I remember when I was about four and I had this GI Joe, which you throw up in the air and it parachutes down. I always wanted to parachute. I took the sheets off my bed and tied a rope round me and jumped off my house roof. Of course the sheet wrapped around me and I fell at a rapid rate. Luckily the ground was soft because it had been raining and I didn’t hurt myself too bad.” Phew.

Celebrity chef JAMES MARTIN wants to get together with JAMIE OLIVER and NIGELLA LAWSON to create a cooking supergroup. The food lover, 39, who hooked up with Barclaycard to hand out tasty Christmas tips, told me: “We could all get together and do something as a group. That would be fun. It might be a bit like Big Brother for chefs, though I’m not sure how well that would go down.” Hmmm, me neither.

former supermodel JERRY HALL has an axe to grind. She reckons today’s top catwalk stars are a bunch of mingers. Jerry, 55, said: “Models today are way too skinny and their faces aren’t that great. They can’t even get boyfriends.” Miaow.

OLLY MURS reckons there’s nothing wrong with his mate CAROLINE FLACK dating toyboy HARRY STYLES. The singer reckons if Caroline, 32, was Harry’s age – 17 – and he was hers, there would be no issue. Olly, 27, who was performing his favourite Christmas carol for a Barclaycard competition winner (see www.facebook/barclaycard) said: “It’s never been a problem for me. I’d date a younger woman and I’d date an older woman. It’s not a big deal.” Indeed.

THE sister-in-law of RYAN GIGGS, 38, signed up to star in next year’s Celebrity Big Brother – and she can’t wait. I hear NATASHA GIGGS, 28, is v v v excited, presumably as she has heard KIRK NORCROSS, 23, from TOWIE is on the bill. Meeting of minds, or what?